A pilgrim image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu was blessed by Pope Francis in the Vatican on Feb. 16.

The Archdiocese of Cebu said the image was brought by Monsignor Jan Thomas Limchua, a Cebuano priest.
The archdiocese shared the photos of the occasion from the Facebook page of Limchua, Saturday, Feb. 20.
In a separate post, CBCP News said the Cebu-crafted image of the child Jesus will remain with Mons. Limchua, who will endorse it to the Bisaya Community in Rome for the use of their Sinulog activities.
Limchua is an official of the Section for the Relations with States of the Secretariat of the State of the Holy See.
In October 2020, the priest was also appointed as papal chaplain.
According to Church-run Radio Veritas, Limchua started in the diplomatic service in September 2014 and served as Apostolic Nunciature of Benin and Togo in West Africa and Egypt.
He finished his Theological studies at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre in Pamplona, Spain and his doctorate in Canon Law at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.
He was ordained priest in the Archdiocese of Cebu in 2010 and underwent diplomatic formation at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, in Vatican.